Nice, Slurry
by SabreDae
Summary: Just a little oneshot about Jess and Becker spending Christmas Eve in the ARC. Slightly related to one of my other fictions, Today Was A Fairytale.


**A/N: This little oneshot was requested by my good friend Sarcastic-Bones. It's briefly mentioned in one of my other fanfics, Today Was A Fairytale, but this expands on what happens. I hope you enjoy it.**

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><p>It was Christmas Eve and Jessica Parker sighed at the thought that it was now past eight o'clock and she wouldn't be able to get to her father's house in time. She switched which way she was crossing her legs and resumed typing the cover up she had been working on. She hadn't even been meant to be working but she was called in to co-ordinate the team, like always, as a carnivorous beast rampaged through the streets of London. But whilst the rest of the team had left, Abby and Connor spending the evening alone with each other in the flat they'd recently bought and Emily going home with Matt, neither of them having any family to visit, she'd become the last one there. It was a usual occurrence for Jess to find herself as the first person to arrive at work and the last to leave. Only this time, she wasn't alone; she just didn't realise it yet.<p>

As she sat sifting through papers with past cover ups, ruling out what would be suitable for the occasion, he crept up behind her, silently stalking through the central hub, where she sat unawares in her chair at the ADD. His hands clamped down on her shoulders as he yelled, "Got you!"

Jess jumped and held a hand to her racing heart, spinning the chair around. "Becker! You scared the life out of me!" And she stood up and walloped him around the back of the head, even though he was at least a foot taller than her. Her heart never properly slowed down to resting pace. Jess was used to that now though. Every time she was around Hilary Becker her heart started pounding loudly. He was just so fit. His hair was as nice as his gentle, joking personality.

He held his hands out and backed up a few steps. "Sorry. Too good an opportunity to miss. So…what are you doing here this late? Shouldn't you be spending time with your family?"

Jess sighed and sat back down. "I was _meant _to be going to my dad's. I haven't seen my sisters in ages and I was really looking forward to it. But _someone's_ got to write this cover up and send it out to the news stations."

"Oh," he replied, pushing his hands in his pockets as he searched for something else to say.

"Why are you still here?"

He deliberated over whether to tell her the truth or make something up, but in the end settled on honesty. He'd known for a long time that lies at work were always found out.

"I don't really want to go home, to be honest. I'll be spending Christmas alone this year," he added seeing her blank look.

"Why alone?" Jess asked without thinking.

"I don't get on with my parents. I haven't seen them since I joined the Forces. They don't even know I work for the government."

"Sorry."

"It's not your fault. You know what, why don't you let me finish that and then you can go to your dad's?"

"It's a nice offer, but it's a long drive and I wouldn't be able to make it without falling asleep at the wheel now. You could always do it with me if you like? I need someone to look through these and tell me what cover ups we've already used and how long ago we used them."

Becker drew up a chair and sat beside her, still in the t-shirt he'd worn whilst battling the dinosaur. Unfortunately it'd ripped but he had no replacement in his locker. As he pulled the pile of papers towards himself, Jess asked him, "Do you ever wear anything other than those clothes?"

"Actually the only other clothes I own, Jessica, are for my hotdog suit for my second job at Subway," he joked.

"Ha ha," Jess muttered sarcastically as she turned back to the monitor in front of her. Once the cover up was done, she turned to him. "Well thanks for the help." They'd decided upon an electrical fault with a toy demonstration in the end, although Jenny had used it two years before. Her stomach rumbled loudly and she moaned, "What I wouldn't give for one roast potato!"

Becker laughed. "Didn't you go to the canteen today?"

"No. Why?"

"They were serving Christmas dinner."

"What? I can't believe I missed my only chance at eating well this Christmas," she complained. "Why didn't anybody tell me?"

"Well you looked perfectly happy with the fruit. We didn't want to bother you whilst you were working."

"That's the last time I bring my own food to work," she muttered darkly. "And if this happens again, I'll kill whoever doesn't tell me! Christmas dinner's my favourite."

"Whoa, Jessica, calm down. I'm sure they're some leftovers we could heat up."

And in an instant the young field coordinator was on her feet and running/tottering to the canteen in her electric purple heels and black pencil skirt, whilst Becker walked behind her at a leisurely pace, amused by her attempts at running. It was one of the things he really liked about Jess, her bubbly personality and eagerness and her _eclectic _dress sense.

"Oh good Lord, they've even got left over Christmas pudding!" Jess exclaimed as she pulled open the fridge. "And whipped cream. I'm in heaven." Her voice became nothing more than a whimper towards the end, as Becker moved past her and pulled out a platter with a roast turkey on it. He peeled back the Clingfilm and grabbed the pot of roasted potatoes, picked up ten and dumped them beside the cooked bird. Next he got out the Brussel Sprouts. After seeing Jess' grimace he held them under her nose and put even more on the platter than he had planned. "No, I hate sprouts! They're disgusting."

"Love a good sprout, me."

Then he rolled the Clingfilm back down and carried the meal to the microwave and warmed it up. He returned to the fridge and took out the gravy.

Soon they were both sitting down to eat, sharing the platter between them as they didn't want to have to wash any plates.

"Dare you to eat a Brussel Sprout," Becker said through a mouthful of turkey.

"Nope, not doing it."

"Go on." He held one in front of her face on his fork.

"What do I get if I do it? I need some incentive."

"I'll…I'll be your slave for a day."

"Alright," she muttered warily before taking the green vegetable from him and throwing it in her mouth whole. "Urgh, that's disgusting," she complained as she tried to chew whilst retching at the same time.

Becker laughed loudly at the expression of revulsion on her face. "That's certainly been better than spending time with my parents!"

"I remember one time we ended up playing dares on Christmas Eve," Jess said quietly.

"We?"

"Me and my sisters."

"What happened?"

"I don't quite remember…we'd been drinking and when I woke up the next morning I was wearing my dad's clothes, with Mrs Schnoopie written over my forehead in permanent marker, and was on the roof."

"That's nothing! At Sandhurst we had an annual newbies introduction. When I arrived, I had my trousers and shirt stolen, then whilst I was asleep they threw the rubbish from the kitchens over me and trapped me in the bottom bunk by knocking out the poles holding the top up."

"Nice, slurry."

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><p><strong>AN: I'd really appreciate a review if you've got time. **


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